Motorcycle gloves probably make the most difficult subjects for a webBikeWorld
review. It's not easy to spit out 1,000 words or so about a pair of gloves,
that's for sure.

This is true also for motorcycle jackets -- after a while, they all pretty
much look and feel about the same, making it seem as if pulling one's own
teeth might be easier and less painful than conjuring up new ways to describe
the pros and cons of a jacket that differs from the rest only in the most
minute of details.

Fortunately, Dainese is making this one easy for me. They sent along a pair
of these Guanto X-ILE gloves with one of their new Shotgun jackets, and
both have unique styling and construction that's different enough from most
of the gear that has come through the portals lately that it makes writing
about them a pleasure.

Our European webBikeWorld visitors have been chirping at us for years
to take a look at Dainese gear and we finally caught on. I think they're
right -- based on the examples I've seen and tried, Dainese makes some of
the highest quality motorcycle gear you can find.

And the variety is almost endless; five full pages just for gloves on
the Dainese website, with prices ranging from "Are you sure?"
$39.00 (Brescia) to "Yeeouch!" $449.00 for Valentino replicas
(and who wouldn't want a pair of those?).

The company makes so many different products that they've apparently
found it necessary to gin up a host of different sounding names for all
the gear. Some of the names make sense and some are nonsensical but everyone
knows that the minds of the marketers are forever puzzling.

In the past, Dainese products weren't readily available on this side
of the Atlantic, but that's all changed and our RevZilla affiliate now carries
the brand, which is a real bonus.

Both the Shotgun jacket, which I'll cover in an upcoming review, and
the Guanto gloves are designed for right now -- summertime. I do think they're
both pretty amazing pieces of kit with some definite differences. Most noticeable
is in the way they fit, and it all has to do with that wonder fabric of
the Disco Age -- Spandex!

Spandex is also known as Elastane in Europe, as Lycra elsewhere and by
several other names, trademarked and generic. The inclusion of this stretchy
fabric in the Shotgun jacket and Guanto gloves makes all the difference
in the world. The Shotgun jacket feels like it was poured on, it's
that comfortable, and it has all the stretchy roominess any rider would
ever need...and the Guanto gloves aren't far behind.

Just throwing in a dart or two of Spandex isn't enough, of course. It
has to be done correctly, and putting it in the right spot means knowing
how to design and style the results so that they will fit, function and
feel better.

Just for the record, the word guanto is Italian for "glove"
(plural: guanti). The English language websites are calling these
the Dainese Guanto gloves, so I guess we'll have to play along.

But they're officially known as the Dainese X-ILE on the Dainese website,
since "Guanto gloves" translates to a meaningless "glove
gloves". So the real question is about the X-ILE name, which is perhaps
a cute way of saying "Exile"?

Dainese X-ILE Gloves - Details

I thought at first that the X-ILE gloves were made entirely from
some new type of flexible leather or other space-age material, perhaps similar
to the
Leather With Lycra we described in a webBikeWorld news release from
the past. But again, it's all in the design, and the stretchy Spandex material
has been put in just the right places on the X-ILE gloves to help make them
fit just like gloves should fit.

Details and specs for the X-ILE gloves aren't easy to come by, even on
the Dainese website. But the gray/taupe colored palms are made from a very
soft leather, with heavy doubled reinforcements covering the heel of the
hand, under the main knuckles in the fist and around into the underside
of the thumb.

The leather used in the plams appears to be different than the leather
used on other gloves I've worn. The X-ILE leather feels like a cross between
suede, microfleece and the type of nubuck leather found, perhaps, in a pair
of work gloves.

This leather shouldn't be as comfortable as it is, but -- it is. At first
glance, the leather used in the X-ILE gloves almost looks a bit rough, thus
the wildly inaccurate comparison to work gloves. In reality it's as soft
as a baby goat's bottom and it feels completely broken almost immediately
and if not, it certainly will be after the first ride.

Another surprise is that the leather used in the palm side of the gloves
is unlined, but it nevertheless feels just as comfy on the inside.

Using a flashlight to peek down into the fingers, all I see is the flip
side of the gray leather. The underside of the leather used in the top half
of the gloves is lined with a soft and slightly shiny fabric, which helps
to move over the hands as they close, making the gloves conform better when
I'm gripping the handlebars.

The back side of the X-ILE gloves is a thinner black leather, quite different
in contrast from the nubuck-style palms. The black leather is a bit dressier
but also very soft.

The fingers are just the right length and with a tiny touch of room in
the fingertips for the perfect grip. A few seams can be felt along the sides
of the fingers on the insides, but only if I concentrate; once I'm out on
the bike, I notice nothing.

But the key to the flexibility offered by the X-ILE gloves is the stretchy
Spandex material that starts at the outside of the wrist on the top of the
gloves and curves downward, surrounding the thumb, which allows it to hug
the curvature of the hand.

Another detail that might pass unnoticed is the use of the Spandex on
either side of the black leather in the forefinger and second finger. This
floats the leather on top of the Spandex, giving extra flexibility to these
two digits, and making the X-ILE gloves perfect for my two-fingers covering
the brake and clutch levers.

The fit and finish on the X-ILE gloves is superb; not a stitch
out of line and details that make a very obvious difference.

For example, the edge of each of the leather sections is very carefully
rolled over and stitched tightly and evenly over the entire length of the
seam. It makes a big difference in the way the gloves look and both the
stitching and design also add to the comfort level.

This focus on cut and stitching, combined with styling, is a hallmark
of the best motorcycle clothing manufacturers. We've noted this before and,
based on my experiences so far, there probably isn't a better example of
it than in Dainese products.

A small cross-wise accordion pleat in the leather across the back of
the hand is repeated as a vertical pleat on the wrist and both serve as
a combination styling touch and added stretch points. Even the tiny stitching
on the seam that covers the entry point of the gloves is perfectly applied.

The fingers use a box section construction, with blind seams along the
outsides while the seam at each fingertip is on the outside.

The extra wear sections on the palm are made from the gray leather and
are just as thick. These sections are all double-stitched and again, both
the cut and the stitching is flawless.

The thumbs on motorcycle gloves can sometimes cause fit problems, but
somehow Dainese got this right also. The red leather swirls down over the
top of the thumb but ends before the tips. It uses a blind stitch on the
outside. The bottom of the thumb is constructed from the gray nubuck leather
and it all comes perfectly together -- not too loose and not too tight.

This pair of X-ILE gloves in size large fits just as expected, so
if this is true across the entire size range for the X-ILE gloves,
you should be able to order to your exact size.

The cuffs are tight, requiring a good push to get the hands inside
and this is for safety reasons to make sure the gloves stay put
once they're on. As you can see in the photos, the Guanto X-ILE
gloves have a short cuff by design, so you have to like this style
-- and understand its compromises.

A short hook-and-loop strap secures the gloves at the wrist and
the snug fit at the entry point, combined with the strap, keeps
the gloves in place. Once they're buttoned up, I can pull them off
with some effort, but they feel much more secure than most of the
other short gloves I have used.

I think one of the keys to the good design of the X-ILE gloves
is that they're tight enough to stay put, yet feel roomy enough
once they're on the hands. The snug entry does mean that the gloves
are a bit more difficult to pull on when my hands are damp or sweaty,
but that's a small price to pay for the security.

Dainese doesn't come right out and say it, but
the X-ILE gloves are obviously designed for hot-weather
use. The short gauntlet helps here, although it can be a
bit difficult to get it properly stuffed under some jacket
cuffs. It's paradoxically too short for some and too long
for others.

The mostly unlined interior also helps, as does the minimal
amount of padding. The gray leather includes perforation
holes on each side of the fingers, which probably helps,
although air can't really be felt flowing through. There
are perforations on the padding over the first two main
knuckles, the fingertips and the back of the hand, but I
think these are more of a styling effort than functional.

Yet the air does seem to seep in to the gloves for cooling,
I think through the textile pieces and perhaps because of
the minimal amount of lining. The leather absorbs some moisture
also, as does the smooth lining on the top side of the inner
part of the gloves.

So overall, the X-ILE gloves may not have air flowing
directly through like a pair of mesh gloves might, but they
feel like they offer much better protection than some of
the very minimal (and cheap) mesh summer gloves I've worn.

Protection

The extra leather sections on the palm and the heel, along
with the carbon fiber knuckle protector on the 3rd and 4th
knuckles only, is pretty much the only extra protection
on the X-ILE gloves. The thick-ish leather used in the body
of the gloves and some padding on the back of the fingers
and top of the hand also helps.

But this is the hot-weather tradeoff -- more protection
means hotter hands. I have been wearing the X-ILE gloves
just about every day recently in summer temperatures and
their comfort and design is a good compromise between trying
to stay cool while also staying protected.

Conclusion

As you have probably guessed by now, I'm really pleased
with the Dainese "Guanto" X-ILE gloves. The combination
of quality and style and comfort really does it for me and
I'd probably have to say at this point that these are the
best short-gauntlet summer gloves I've tried. They just
somehow feel perfect when I wrap my hands around the grips,
and that's what counts.

When short gloves first became popular, I was skeptical,
and I'm fully aware of the potential compromises in safety.
But when the weather is as hot as it is here lately, a pair
of gloves like these offer a good balance of a reasonable
amount of protection while still remaining comfortable.

The Guanto gloves are superbly made, beautifully designed
and -- best of all -- they just feel great when riding.
They're more expensive than a pair of the cheap summer mesh
gloves, but they're infinitely more enjoyable to own and
I think they're worth every penny.

Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (details).
Comments may be edited for clarity prior to publication.

From "A.J.L." (8/10): "I
enjoy your website, thank you for all the work that is put
into it.

Fit: My hands measure 7.5 inches from base of palm
to tip of middle finger. This puts me squarely in the size
large for most standard sized gloves. I found the Dainese
large to fit just right. They seem very true to size.

Quality: The palms of these gloves are very nice.
The leather felt broken-in from the moment I put them on.
The palms are double stitched with layered patches in most
areas except the base attachment to the wrist strap. The
single stitching on the back-hand side is clean and tight,
no fraying or loose ends. I give the construction quality
a good to very good, they seem like they should last.

Comfort: As I mentioned, the palms are supple and
very comfortable. The seams do not protrude inside the glove
so there are no pressure points or chafing between fingers.
The inside of the glove is bare leather on the palm with
a Lycra-like liner on the back-hand side. The leather is
soft and comfortable as is the liner. These gloves can easily
be worn all day with no discomfort.

I have found some gloves with hardened knuckles to be
painful when making a fist. These are not so. The inside
padding and liner make it so that you don't ever feel the
knuckle reinforcements.

Protection vs Weather: The inside two knuckles
of the glove as well as the back of the hand have foam padding
that seems a moderate protection. The outer two knuckles
feature a carbon fiber (or look-alike) hard reinforcement
offering better protection. The backside of the fingers
have a leather pad that should help with abrasion, but likely
not much impact protection.

The palms are well made and thick enough to inspire confidence
for at least one-time use in a crash. The airflow at speed
through the back of the gloves is moderate. Better than
a full leather glove, but far less than the mesh gloves
I am replacing.

I recently rode 5 hours on a 95 degree heat-indexed day
in Georgia with little sweating and no discomfort, so I
would judge these gloves a good compromise between mesh
comfort and leather protection.

Complaints: My only real issue with the gloves
is the Velcro attachment at the wrist. The gloves feature
a small area of elastic with a medium length Velcro strap.
The wrist area is very formed and when I put them on this
seems to restrict my ability to tighten the glove to my
wrist.

I wear my jacket Velcro-ed over the wrist of the glove
so there is a little bunching of the glove material when
I snug the jacket down. There seems to be no functional
issue here beyond a bit of cosmetic looseness at the back
of the glove; there is no discomfort at the wrist.

Conclusion: I am very happy with the purchase of
these gloves. They look very nice, the quality is good,
and the fit and comfort are excellent. I would happily recommend
them and you should have no trouble ordering your standard
size."

From "K.L.S." (6/10): "I
just read your Dainese ‘Guanto’ glove review and believe
your first impressions are correct. 18 months ago I ponied
up for the Dainese - Ducati branded ‘Motard’ gloves that
appear to be very similar. I fell in love with the soft,
thick leather, the great fit, and the quality craftsmanship
like your author did.

I can add to your review that my gloves have also held
up remarkably well. No loose threads or pulled seams and
the leather surface hasn’t worn at all. Just a little road
grime and bugs to prove that they’re used every day."